Mumbai, July 7: In a major crackdown, Mumbai Police busted a well-organised dating app scam operating out of a club in Borivali, arresting 22 people, including six women and the club manager. The arrests come after a detailed investigation into a racket that targeted unsuspecting men through dating apps, luring them into a trap involving inflated restaurant bills and digital payment fraud.

According to the Mid-Day report, the police action came after a complaint from a 26-year-old loan recovery agent who grew suspicious after a dinner date ended with an INR 35,000 bill. When the man realised his payment of INR 15,000 was not made to the hotel but to an unrelated individual via a QR code, he approached the police. The ensuing investigation led to the arrest of a woman identified as Disha Sharma, who confessed to being part of a wider scam. Dating App Scam: Maharashtra Cyber Cell Releases Awareness Video Featuring Ameesha Patel, Explains How Men Are Scammed Into Paying Huge Restaurant Bill.

Modus Operandi of Dating App Scam in Borivali

According to police, women involved in the racket created fake profiles on popular dating apps like Tinder and Bumble to connect with men. Once a match was secured, the victims were persuaded to meet for dinner at a specific club in Borivali. At the venue, they were subtly encouraged to order expensive food and drinks. When the bill arrived, often between INR 30,000 and INR 35,000, the women offered to “split” the cost to avoid raising suspicion.

However, the payments were never made to the club’s official account. Instead, waiters provided QR codes linked to third-party UPI accounts. Police found that funds were being routed to individuals not affiliated with the establishment, allowing the scammers to pocket the money while leaving the victims defrauded. Tinder, Happn Dating App Scam in Mumbai: Is The Red Room in Andheri West New Location for Modus Operandi? Men Lose INR 23K to 43K After Getting Conned by Women They Matched Online (See Viral Post).

The racket was uncovered after police raided a lodge in Navi Mumbai’s Digha area, where several suspects were staying. All 22 arrested individuals, including the women, waitstaff, and club management, are reportedly from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and had come to Mumbai specifically to run the scam. Police are also investigating potential links between this case and a similar operation reported last month in Malad, where multiple victims lodged complaints after being duped in a nearly identical mode.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 07, 2025 07:27 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).